Work, commute, soccer, ballet, grocery, cleaners, haircut, PTA, more work at home that didn’t get done at the office, emails, hardware store, a volunteer meeting, pharmacy, gas station, dinner, iffy sleep. For some people, that’s the task list for just one day.
Maybe our parents did this much when we were kids, but it seems these activities were spread out over weeks and not all on the same day. My Dad’s schedule in the 1960s: breakfast, a 20-minute bus ride, work from 8 till 4:30, a bus home, dinner with the family, a house project or homework help, a little TV, then sleep.
Mom’s schedule then: cook breakfast and make our lunches, take us to school, read the paper and watch a little TV, clean the house or wash clothes, make dinner, watch TV, then sleep.
Life in the Mayberry era may seem boring, but I don’t recall any stress. Our days weren’t scheduled to the minute. We had time to spend with family and friends. My sister and I had hobbies and school-related activities, but at a manageable quantity.
Now it’s just non-stop stuff! In my case, work, commute, more work at home because I didn’t finish it at the office, attempts to enjoy my other interests, but little or no time left to spend with family and friends. And our house is stacked with unfinished projects.
And we don’t even have kids! I can’t even imagine what that would be like these days.
While I enjoy the challenges and rush of a busy professional life and the numerous opportunities for personal fulfillment, I think we as a society need to slow down a little. Maybe a lot.
Stop and smell the roses is a suggestion with real potential in 2007.
1 comment:
So true! Life these days is out of control. Work hours are longer, commutes suck up so much time, and so much more is expected of us in general.
Things need to slow down a lot in our society, but it's going to take something pretty jarring, like a collective nervous breakdown, to bring people to their senses. ;)
-velvet
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